We were attracting a crowd!
My wife and I were traveling with another couple in Europe. We were spending several days in Venice. Our friend had read in a guide book that a fair price for a Gondola ride would be about $80. The boatman wanted $100. The argument was getting loud and heated. Day trippers from the cruise ships gathered round.
The boatman made an obscene gesture and turned away in distain. As we melted away down a narrow side street, I noticed a day tripper offer $200. The boatman responded with a slight differential nod, ‘Please enter my boat, Sir!’
We found a modest sidewalk café. Our friend cooled down with fresh melon and ham. As we enjoyed a leisurely lunch, we discussed plans for the afternoon. We would split up.
So lunch finished, we paid the bill – about $100 apiece with tip.
Our friends took a water taxi to the island where Venetian glass was made. My wife and I sought out the church where Vivaldi had worked for much of his life. We paid the $10 per person entry fee. We sat and absorbed the ambiance in homage to a great musician. My wife quietly filled me in on Vivaldi’s life story and contribution to Classical Music.
As sundown approached, the cruise ships left. We met our friends in the now quiet main square for drinks and supper. They were all agog with their tour of the glass factory. They eagerly described the several hundred dollars of glass pieces they had bought and shipped home.
We enjoyed our drinks, our conversation, a modest supper, the quiet beauty of St. Mark’s Square as dusk merged into darkness. We found our way through a maze of quiet lantern lit lanes back to our hotel.
After a night’s rest, we hit the tourist trail with zest. We explored more of the beauty and history of this unique city before catching a train to Rome. We never did have a Gondola ride! The $20 argument still rankled.
Was our visit ruined without a half-hour trip in a Gondola through the back canals of Venice? No! Would it have enhanced our experience of the city? Yes! Was it worth making a fuss over $20? You got to be kidding!
I wonder! Dollars may describe a price, but do they define a value?